What to expect during Justin Bieber's Purpose World Tour stop in Dubai

Pop superstar Justin Bieber is set to thrill fans when he brings the exceptional live production that is his Purpose World Tour to Dubai this weekend.

The Canadian singer will play to packed crowds at the Autism Rocks Arena on May 6 – and if recent shows are anything to go by, he should deliver a dazzlingly fast-paced, fun and sleek pop performance.

The 23-year-old's recent tour of Australia and New Zealand left audiences elated and got the critics talking.

Based on his show in Brisbane in March, here is what fans in the UAE can look forward to.

The show

The enormous and elaborate production design is perhaps the single most impressive aspect of the concert.

Designed to wow huge stadium crowds, it features fireworks, lasers, spectacular graphics on big screens and big bursts of smoke.

Most stunning of all, though, is the shape-shifting stage, which expands upwards and outwards to lift the talented performers that flank Bieber into the air or towards the audience.

The main stage is connected by a catwalk to a smaller secondary performance space where Bieber often shows off his dance moves or plays slower songs on his guitar.

While there are fan zones set aside as part of the set-up, he gives each section of the crowd its fair share of attention.

All in all, the show is light, bright and loud and operates, as you might expect, like a well-oiled machine. Bieber has been performing since he was a child and, as he has matured, has become creatively smarter about how to ensure his gigs pack a punch.

From the moment he makes his entrance – in a glass box that rises up from under the stage during the first song – the show is an immersive experience for fans, devised for partying.

The performance

Bieber has recently faced accusations that he appears bored on stage, prompting critics to suggest he has lost interest in performing live.

However, those who have seen him perform before know he has had this demeanour for years and it is not out of character for him to act aloof.

While at times it can feel as though he is going through the motions, and the show can lose some of its shine or feel a bit robotic because of this, this is easy to overlook with so much else going on.

Bieber is almost always flanked by talented dancers and there are also a couple of DJs on the decks to pump up the crowd.

There is no doubt he can sing when he wants to – but often the microphone drops to his side and he lets the backing tracks do the hard work.

The songs

It comes as no surprise that the Purpose World Tour predominantly features songs from his latest album of the same name.

The set list includes just a few of his older hits, including Baby and Boyfriend, focusing instead on his new EDM-influenced LP, which features collaborators such as Skrillex and Diplo.

Songs such as What Do You Mean?, Get Used to It, Company and No Pressure are highlights – but the really special moments come when Bieber grabs a guitar and sits on a velvet couch in the centre of the stage to perform Cold Water and Love Yourself.

Sure to erase any lingering doubt about his musical talent, Bieber also takes to the drums at one point delivering a hard-hitting and impressive solo.

Judging by the lengthy run of shows on the tour so far, he tends to stick fairly tightly to the script, performing the same songs in the same order on every stop. So don't expect any surprises in Dubai.

Listen out

Bieber is a man of few words on stage and tends to directly address the crowd only a handful of times.

When he does, it is usually to check in on the audience to see if they are having fun, or to thank them for giving him the opportunity to stand in front of them.

"I'm really grateful to be here," he said in Brisbane.

"It's going to be an amazing night – thanks so much for being here." He also scrawls a handwritten message of love for his fans on the box he steps out of during the opening number, Mark My Words.

Why go?

The Purpose World Tour experience is pure entertainment, with eye-popping production values.

It will appeal to fans of all ages – the audience in Brisbane was an interesting mix of children, teenage girls and plenty of grown adults – with a bigger proportion of men than at previous shows.

Overall, it promises to be a fun-filled night that will keep even the parents entertained.

• Justin Bieber performs at the Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai Outlet Mall on May 6, doors open from 4pm. Tickets start at Dh335, from www.117live.com

artslife@thenational.ae

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